The Original Characteristic of the Soul - That Is Dharma
The concept of religion is frequently misunderstood in the modern world, often reduced to a mere matter of personal faith or temporary societal affiliation. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly explains the deep, scientific meaning of the Vedic term dharma. True dharma refers to the eternal, inseparable characteristic of the living entity—the inherent drive to serve—which finds its ultimate perfection only when directed toward the Supreme Lord.
The Inseparable Characteristic
The word dharma describes the fundamental nature of an object that cannot be removed from it. Providing practical examples, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that just as water must be liquid and a chili must be pungent, the living entity has a specific constitutional position that cannot be altered by adopting a temporary faith.
- Dharma means original, constitutional position. That is dharma. I have several times said. . . Just like water. Water is liquid. That is its dharma.
- Dharma means the natural characteristic. That is dharma. We don't mean dharma is a certain type of faith. No. Faith or no faith, the characteristics must be there. Just like salt. It has got a particular type of taste.
- Dharma means your constitutional position and duty. That is called dharma. Just like the other day I explained. Just like chili should be pungent, sugar must be sweet, this is the idea. Water must be liquid. A stone must be solid. This is the dharma.
- What is depending on faith, that is not dharma, that is not religion. The quality which you cannot change, that is religion. Therefore, the definition of dharma is given in the Vedic literature: dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam.
The Eternal Occupational Duty
Because the living entity is an eternal part and parcel of God, its natural characteristic is to render service. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that when we serve our temporary material senses, we are engaged in adharma (irreligion), but when that same service spirit is transferred to Kṛṣṇa, we are properly situated in our true occupational duty.
- The real occupational duty of the living entity is called sanatana-dharma. Dharma means not religion. Dharma means the natural characteristic. That is dharma.
- This duty, this eternal occupational duty, is there in every living entity, the service spirit. But the service spirit is now misplaced on account of our conditioned stage. So when it is properly placed, service, that is our dharma.
- Everyone is serving his senses. This is the position. This is dharmasya glanir bhavati. As soon as we are engaged in serving our senses, that is dharmasya glanih. And as soon as we agree to serve the senses of Krsna, that is dharma.
- Your natural function is to serve Krsna. That's all. You have no other business. That is dharma. No other business. When we understand this convincingly, then we are situated in our religion.
The Laws Given by God
Just as a state operates on laws formulated by the government, the universe operates on laws given by the Supreme Creator. Śrīla Prabhupāda strictly defines dharma as the direct order and code provided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which cannot be imitated or created by ordinary human beings.
- Dharma means the codes or the law given by God. That is dharma. And our life is meant for dharma. Dharma. But unfortunately we have created so many dharmas. But there cannot be so many dharmas. There cannot be.
- Dharma means the law given by God. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture. Who cares for your manufactured system.
- Dharma means which is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is dharma. You cannot manufacture dharma. Just like nowadays so many dharmas have been manufactured. They are not dharma. dharma means the order which is given by the Lord.
- What God says, that is dharma. God says: "Do this." That is dharma. Not that you manufacture your dharma. God says, Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru.
Rejecting Concocted Religion
Due to a lack of genuine spiritual knowledge, modern civilization is full of speculative religious systems that mislead the public. Warning against these concoctions, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes Lord Kṛṣṇa's ultimate instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā: to abandon all varieties of manufactured religion and simply surrender unto Him.
- Dharma means what is given to you by the Supreme Lord, that is dharma. Otherwise, if you manufacture some ritualistic ceremonies, some formulas, some dogma, that is cheating. That is not religion.
- The members of modern civilization manufacture defective religious principles through speculative concoction. This is not dharma. They do not know what is dharma and what is adharma.
- Sarva-dharman parityajya. "You have manufactured so many dharmas: deva-dharma, samaja-dharma, desa-dharma, this dharma, that dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, this . . . no! Simply surrender unto Me." That is dharma.
- Krsna says that, "You give up your nonsense manufactured religion. Here is religion. Surrender unto Me." Who will deny? Any religious person will accept it. Who will deny? This is dharma.
Conclusion
To understand real religion, one must look beyond temporary labels and human concoctions. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully restores the original, scientific definition of dharma as the inseparable characteristic of the soul. Just as water cannot exist without being liquid, the living entity cannot exist without serving. In the illusion of material life, this service is misdirected toward the temporary senses, resulting in endless bondage. However, when a person accepts the direct laws given by God and transfers their natural service spirit to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, they are reinstated in their eternal constitutional position. By abandoning all speculative, man-made systems and simply surrendering to the Supreme Lord, the conditioned soul perfectly executes sanātana-dharma and secures their path back to the spiritual world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category That Is Dharma. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.